Nasogastric tubes provide a vital route to deliver
nutrition, fluid and medication to patients with
impaired swallowing, unsafe oral access or
increased energy requirements that cannot be
met orally. Their clinical use for feeding began to
be realised in the 1970s, with the introduction of
fine bore nasogastric tubes (Rassias et al 1998).
These could be inserted blindly at the bedside,
and their narrowness reduced the incidence of
ulceration to the nose, pharynx and stomach.